Vegetarian Cuisine
Chai
This spicy drink with zesty, complex flavours is a great substitute when you are trying to give up coffee. Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tsp fresh root ginger, finely sliced
2 tsp whole fennel seeds
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1 fresh bay leaf
15 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp rooibos tea leaves
8 fl oz (250 ml) almond milk
4 tsp honey
Preparation:
1. In a saucepan, combine 750 ml (24 fl oz) cold, filtered water with the ginger, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, add the tea leaves, and let it steep for 5-10 minutes.
2. Strain the tea leaves through a sieve into a large jug, add the almond milk and honey, and serve immediately.
Wake up now. Develop dispassion. Do sadhana. Beware of the senses. Become desireless. – Sri Swami Sivananda
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| JANUARY 2024 1 New Year’s Day 7 Ekadasi 11 New Moon 20 Ekadasi 26 Full moon FEBRUARY 2024 Understand life. Live divinely. Seek good company. Fear not. Waste not time. Depend on God. – Sri Swami Sivananda |
Glossary
Abhyasa
Abhyasa or practice is the effort to secure steadiness of the modifications of the mind. The effort to restrain all the vrittis (waves) of the mind and to make the mind steady like the jet of a lamp in a windless place is called abhyasa. To drive back the mind to its source – Hridaya Guha (the cave of the heart) and get it absorbed in Atman (the Self) is abhyasa. To make the mind inward and to destroy all its outgoing tendencies is abhyasa. And this practice should be done for a long time without any break and with perfect devotion.
Through abhyasa you will have to change the outgoing vishaya vrittis of the mind. Without the vrittis of the mind you cannot enjoy sensual objects, and if the vrittis along with samskaras are controlled, manonasa or the annihilation of the mind follows.
Abhyasa becomes fixed and steady when practised for a long time without any break and with perfect devotion. Constant, steady application is indispensable for perfect control of the mind and attainment of asamprajnata samadhi which alone can fry all the seeds of samskaras. Therefore, constant and intense practice is needed for a long time. Then alone the wandering mind will come under your perfect control. Then alone wherever it is directed it will be ever at rest. Without practice nothing can be achieved. The practice should be accompanied by perfect faith and devotion. If there is no faith and regularity, success is impossible. Abhyasa should be continued until you get perfection.
From Sadhana by Swami Sivananda